Using Pronouns as Subjects, Objects, and Possessives
Use a subjective pronoun as the of the sentence. For example, in the sentence " walked to subject He
the store," the pronoun is the subject of the sentence. A pronoun can also be the of a verb he object
or a preposition. For example, in the sentence "Billy moved closer to ," the pronoun is the it him it
object of the verb and the pronoun is the object of the preposition . Finally, a pronoun moved him to
can show or ownership. For example, in the sentence "Lisa folded clothes but possession her
left in a messy pile," the pronouns and show ownership of the clothes. Review the his hers his
following pronoun case chart before you start the exercises.
Subjective Objective Possessive
I me my (mine)
Singular Pronouns you you you (yours)
he him his
she her her (hers)
it it its
Subjective Objective Possessive
we us our (ours)
Plural Pronouns you you your (yours)
they them their (theirs)
Directions: Read each of the following sentences. Then complete the following statements by selecting
the blank lines and choosing the correct answers from the dropdown menus.
We bought our first car before they purchased theirs.
We they and are pronouns. Our and theirs indicate of the subjective possession
cars.
Points:
1 / 1
Close Explanation
Explanation:
We bought they is the subject of the verb , and is the subject of the verb . Therefore, the purchased
correct answer for the first blank is "subjective." The possessive pronouns and show our theirs
that own our and own their . Therefore, the correct answer for the second blank is we car they car
"possession."
You heard a rumor that my father wasn't coming to our family reunion.
You is a(n) pronoun. My and our indicate of the father and subjective possession
the reunion respectively.
Points:
1 / 1
Close Explanation
Explanation:
The pronoun is the subject of the verb . Therefore, the correct answer for the first blank is you heard
"subjective." The pronouns and show possession of the father and the reunion respectively. my our
Therefore, the correct answer for the second blank is "possession."
Directions: Within each sentence, select the blank line and choose from the dropdown menu if the S
preceding pronoun is in the subjective case, from the dropdown menu if it is in the objective case, O
and from the dropdown menu if it is in the possessive case.P
The following passage is taken from On Beauty by Zadie Smith. In the beginning of the novel, Kiki and
Howard and two of their children, Zora and Levi, are having breakfast. The family has just received an
e-mail from their oldest son, Jerome. In the e-mail, he announces that he wants to marry a girl that
he has just met.
(1) (2) "How am I ( ) meant to react?" said Kiki, sighing. S She ( ) laid down her S
knife and reached out for Levi, who was just passing with his bowl. Grabbing her ( ) (3) P
robust 15-year-old by his denim waistband, she pulled him to her ( ) easily, forcing him O
down half a foot to her sitting level so that she could tuck the label of his basketball top back inside
the collar. She put her thumbs on each side of his ( ) boxer shorts for another (4) P
readjustment, but he tugged away from her. "Mom, man . . ." [Levi's] faux Brooklyn accent (5)
belonged to neither Howard nor Kiki and had only arrived in Levi's mouth 3 years earlier, as he (
S ) turned 12. Jerome and Zora had been born in England, Levi in America. But all their ((6) (7)
P ) various American accents seemed, to Howard, in some way artificial—not quite the
products of his house or his wife. None, though, was as inexplicable as Levi's.(8)
Source: Smith, Zadie. . London: Penguin Books Ltd, 2005.On Beauty
Points:
1 / 1
Close Explanation
Explanation:
Sentence Explanation
"How am meant to react?" said Kiki, I
sighing.
In sentence 1, is a subjective pronoun. is I I
the subject of the verb . If you have troubleam
finding the subject of the sentence in a
question, try changing the sentence into a
statement: " am meant to react . . ."I
She laid down her knife and reached out for
Levi, who was just passing with his bowl.
In sentence 2, is a subjective she
pronoun. is the subject of the verb .She laid
Grabbing robust 15-year-old by his her
denim waistband, she pulled him
to easily, forcing him down half a foot toher
her sitting level so that she could tuck the
label of his basketball top back inside the
collar.
For the first blank in sentence 3, is a her
possessive pronoun. shows ownership of Her
the 15-year-old to Kiki. (In other words, Levi
is her son.)
For the second blank, is an objective her
pronoun. It is the object of the preposition .to
She put her thumbs on each side of boxerhis
shorts for another readjustment, but he
tugged away from her. "Mom, man . . . ."
In sentence 4, is a possessive his
pronoun. shows ownership of the boxer His
shorts to Levi.
[Levi's] faux Brooklyn accent belonged to
neither Howard nor Kiki and had only
arrived in Levi's mouth 3 years earlier,
as turned 12.he
In sentence 5, is a subjective he
pronoun. is the subject of the verb .He turned
But all various American accents their
seemed, to Howard, in some way artificial—
not quite the products of his house or his
wife.
In sentence 7, is a possessive their
pronoun. shows ownership of the Their
accents.
